


Seamus

by Ellerigby13



Series: Harlequin Prompts 2020 [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dogs, F/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22561420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellerigby13/pseuds/Ellerigby13
Summary: Bucky Barnes works an ordinary job at the local animal shelter, where he occasionally takes in lost and abandoned pets.  But one day, someone not-so-ordinary comes in.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis
Series: Harlequin Prompts 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619725
Comments: 18
Kudos: 127
Collections: MHEA Harlequin Hoopla Prompt Challenge 2020





	Seamus

“Miss? You can’t just leave your dog there!”

If there’s anything Bucky expects the heavily coated woman walking away from the damn near cutest pit bull in the world tied to the fence to do, it’s definitely not turning around to face him with tears dribbling down her face. And he definitely didn’t expect her to have the damn near bluest eyes in the world either.

“H-h-he’s not m-m-my dog,” she sobs, and smushes a sleeve against her cheek to dry her tears. “I f-found him on the side of the road y-yesterday, and I didn’t know where else to go.”

His gut goes crashing down into his toes. Of course he has to come off like an asshole. Of course she’s got pure eyes and sweet pink lips and a chin that trembles when she cries. “I’m sorry, I just - we’re not open yet, and most people who tie a big dog like that to the fence, well...they usually get loose and sometimes...hit by cars.”

He hopes that she’ll get the reasoning, that she’ll smile through her tears and at least chuckle with him over the misunderstanding, but that just makes it worse.

“They do?” she chokes out, another fat tear dripping down her nose.

“No, no.” He wants to reach out, but first things first - he unties what looks like a jump rope attached to the peanut butter-colored pittie and gives him a pat, the big gorgeous dope of a dog licking and nuzzling into his hand. “Hey, buddy. It’s gonna be okay. You’re okay...are  _ you _ okay?” he asks, this time looking up at the woman, who’s taken a cautious step forward.

“Yeah.” She squats down to join the two of them, and lifts a timid hand to scratch the good boy behind his ears. “I was...on a walk last night, and it was late and cold, and he was in the bushes alone...I couldn’t let him freeze overnight, so I took him back to my apartment, just so he could have a warm place to sleep. I didn’t know what else to do, or where else to go.”

“That’s okay.” The dog sits patiently, his tail thwumping in the dirt as he smiles up at the both of them. Bucky grins; the dog grins back with his floppy pink tongue. “You found him with the collar and the rope and everything?”

“Yeah. It looked like maybe he got away from somebody. Got lost on a walk. That’s why I - ” She sniffles, chewing on her lip. “...I thought about keeping him, but he’s trained. People have to be looking for him.”

“Somebody’ll come for him,” Bucky reassures her, recognizing the anxious expression in her eyes and her teeth clamping down on her lower lip. “He’s very well behaved. Doesn’t even bark or jump or anything. Somebody loves him.”

“Yeah,” she says softly, looking at the dog like looking into the distance. “He’s a really good boy.” A gentle chuckle escapes her lips, and she guides her eyes back up to meet Bucky’s. “I fucked up and got attached. Gave him a name and everything.”

“Fatal mistake. What’d you call him?”

“Seamus.”

He can’t help himself from belly laughing, and the dog takes notice, his tail wagging faster and faster. “I’m sorry, I’ve never heard  _ anybody _ name their dog Seamus.”

“He looks like a Seamus!”

“You’re right, he does,” Bucky smiles, and tickles the dog under his chin. “Why don’t we get you inside, bud? Let’s see if you’ve got a chip, we can find your parents.”

“Would the chip have his real name?”

“Usually, no. It has an ID number, and we look that up to get the owner’s name and contact info. But we can check.”

“Okay. That’s...probably a good idea.”

He can tell that she doesn’t want to; her shoulders drop like she’s been holding out for him not having an owner, even though she knows he  _ should  _ be with whoever that is. He holds out the end of the leash for her - his hand suddenly feels too rough when her soft, smooth fingers brush against it.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, and pats Seamus one more time before lifting himself from his crouch. “Here, let me, uh...why don’tcha come on in.”

She steps across the door into the shelter, looking around cautiously and keeping Seamus close to her. “This...isn’t what I expected a shelter to look like.”

“We’re not a pound. The dogs get an inside play area, sometimes we take them to the park. No sleepin’ on concrete floors behind fences. You ain’t stayin’ long anyway, huh, bud?” Seamus wags his tail harder, his whole lower half wiggling with excitement. Bucky smiles back, and fiddles with the chip scanner before lifting it to the back of Seamus’s neck, running his finger over the small bump. “Looks like he might have a chip after all.”

The woman wipes her nose with her sleeve, eyeing the scanner in Bucky’s hand. “He has a home?”

“He has a home.” He checks the ID number in their database; a name and phone number pop up quick. “Well, buddy, I think you’re gonna see your family today.”

“I guess that means goodbye, then. We had a good run, huh, Seamus? Huh, buddy?” She leans down to scratch him under the chin, and it’s the moment that she chews her lower lip that Bucky decides to do something stupid.

“If you want, I could leave them your phone number. I don’t know, like shared custody?”

A small smile pulls at the corners of her lips. “That’d be good. That’d be really, really nice.” He passes her a Post-It, and she takes a pen out of the holder at the counter. “What - uh, what was your name, by the way? You’ve been...really cool.”

“Bucky. I’m Bucky.”

Seamus wags his tail furiously beside him, as the woman rips the Post-It in half and hands him both pieces, each with her name - Darcy, a name that is so perfectly  _ her _ \- and her phone number. He feels himself beginning to frown, but he takes both anyway.

“One’s for the family, and...one’s for you,” she says hesitantly, and scratches the spot between the dog’s ears. “Assuming you don’t, like, have a partner or anything. And if you’re interested, or...I don’t know, if you wanted to get coffee or something.”

“Coffee would be great. Darcy.”

Seamus whimpers when she takes her hand off him, and he sees another tear or two escape before she can swipe them away.

“Okay, buddy. Hopefully I’ll see ya soon.”

She waves at Bucky while crossing out the door, then tucks her hood over her head to shield herself from the wind. He can still see her crying, her hands flitting up to dry her eyes, and nearly pounds the buttons to dial the number on the database.

Eddie Dyson takes the Post-It and the dog with shaking hands. Even though Bucky finds out that the big handsome boy’s name is Gordon, he texts Darcy, a moment after Eddie leaves, that Seamus is safe at home.

She sends back a smiling emoji, and the address of her favorite coffee house.


End file.
